HERO UPDATES
GENERAL
Developer Comments: Season 9 features changes to the fundamentals of Overwatch 2 gameplay that affect every hero. We’ve heard the community feedback around some gameplay pain points, and these changes are in response to many of those.
Most damage-dealing projectile sizes have been increased by a new global modifier added to their base size.
- +0.05 meters for hitscan projectiles with a high rate of fire or spread (e.g., Tracer’s Pulse Pistols or Reaper’s Hellfire Shotguns).
- +0.08 meters for hitscan projectiles that are more precise (e.g., Cassidy’s Peacekeeper or Soldier:76’s Heavy Pulse Rifle).
- +0.05 meters for travel time projectiles that are shotguns or have a very high rate of fire (e.g., Roadhog’s Scrap Gun or Ramattra’s Void Accelerator).
- +0.10 meters for travel time projectile with a speed greater than 50 meters per second (e.g., Zenyatta’s Destruction Orb).
- +0.15 meters for travel time projectile with a speed less than or equal to 50 meters per second (e.g., Pharah’s Rocket Launcher).
- Very large projectiles with a base size greater than 0.5 meters have been excluded from these increases (e.g., Orisa’s Energy Javelin or Reinhardt’s Fire Strike).
Hero combined HP (base health/armor/shields) increased by 15-25%.
- 150-175 HP heroes increased by 25 HP.
- 200-300 HP heroes increased by 50 HP.
- 300+ HP (Tanks) increased by 75-100 HP.
- Each hero’s precise health increases are listed in their patch notes below.
Ultimate Charge
- All Ultimate ability costs increased by 10%.
Regenerative Passive for All Heroes
- All heroes now regenerate 20 health per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage.
Support Role Passive
- Now reduces the delay before regeneration begins by half (2.5 seconds).
Damage Role Passive
- Reload speed bonus on elimination has been removed.
- New role passive: Dealing damage reduces enemy healing received by 20% for 2 seconds.
Quick Melee
- Damage increased from 30 to 40.
TANK
- Pilot health increased from 150 to 175.
- Mech armor increased from 300 to 375.
Self Destruct
- Explosion maximum damage increased from 900 to 1000.
- Inner explosion radius (range for maximum damage before falloff begins) increased from 4 to 6 meters.
Doomfist
- Health increased from 300 to 375.
Rocket Punch
- Max impact damage increased from 50 to 75.
- Max wall slam damage increased from 30 to 40.
Junker Queen
- Health increased from 300 to 375.
Rampage
- Wound damage over time increased from 60 to 90.
Mauga
- Health increased from 300 to 400.
Orisa
- Armor increased from 275 to 350.
Ramattra
- Health increased from 200 to 275.
Reinhardt
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
- Armor increased from 250 to 275.
Rocket Hammer
- Damage increased from 85 to 100.
Charge
- Wall impact damage increased from 225 to 275.
Roadhog
- Health increased from 550 to 650.
Sigma
- Shields increased from 200 to 275.
Winston
- Health increased from 200 to 225.
- Armor increased from 200 to 250.
Tesla Cannon
- Damage increased from 60 to 75 damage per second.
Primal Rage
- Punch damage increased from 40 to 50.
Wrecking Ball
- Armor increased from 100 to 175.
Zarya
- Health increased from 100 to 175.
Particle Cannon
- Primary fire beam width increased from 0.15 to 0.2 meters.
DAMAGE
Ashe
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
B.O.B.
- B.O.B.’s weapon damage increased from 14 to 17.
Bastion
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Cassidy
- Health increased from 225 to 275.
Deadeye
- Initial damage rate increased from 130 to 150.
- Damage rate increased from 260 to 300.
Echo
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Focusing Beam
- Width increased from 0.2 to 0.25 meters.
Duplicate
- Maximum combined health value increased from 300 to 350.
Genji
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Dragonblade
Swing recovery decreased from 0.9 to 0.7 seconds.
Hanzo
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Storm Arrows
- Damage increased from 65 to 75.
- Cooldown reduced from 10 to 8 seconds.
Junkrat
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Frag Launcher
- Base projectile size reduced from 0.25 to 0.2 meters.
Mei
- Health increased from 250 to 300.
Pharah
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Rocket Launcher
- Recovery reduced from 0.85 to 0.80 seconds.
- Projectile speed increased from 35 to 40 meters per second.
- Explosion self-damage reduced from 50% to 25%.
Jet Dash
- New Secondary Fire Ability.
- Provides a quick horizontal boost in the direction Pharah is moving.
- 8-second cooldown.
- Added a setting to activate Jet Dash on Double Jump instead.
Jump Jet
- Now restores 50% of Hover Jets fuel and can briefly overfill the maximum fuel amount.
- Vertical boost height reduced by 20%.
- Cooldown increased from 10 to 14 seconds.
Concussive Blast
- Cooldown decreased from 9 to 7 seconds.
- Explosion now deals 30 damage to enemy targets.
- Explosion radius reduced from 8 to 6 meters.
- Knockback reduced by 10%.
Barrage
- Now instantly refills Hover Jets fuel.
Hover Jets
- Speed boost increased from 20% to 40%.
- Now requires landing to recharge fuel.
- Can now be activated without fuel to slow your descent.
Developer Comments: Pharah has a significant update that empowers more individual plays and shifting her movement capabilities from high up in the air to more horizontal movement that can cover distance quickly.
Reaper
- Health increased from 250 to 300.
Sojourn
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Railgun
- Secondary Fire base projectile size reduced from 0.1 to 0.07 meters.
Soldier: 76
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Sombra
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Symmetra
- Shields increased from 100 to 150.
Photon Projector
- Primary fire beam width increased from 0.2 to 0.25 meters.
Torbjörn
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Tracer
- Health increased from 150 to 175.
Widowmaker
- Health increased from 175 to 200.
SUPPORT
Ana
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Baptiste
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Brigitte
- Health increased from 150 to 200.
Rocket Flail
- Damage increased from 35 to 45.
Illari
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Kiriko
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Kunai
- Base projectile size reduced from 0.18 to 0.15 meters.
Lifeweaver
- Health increased from 175 to 225.
Lúcio
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Soundwave
- Damage increased from 25 to 35.
- Knockback increased 12%.
- Movement lockout duration increased from 0.3 to 0.45 seconds.
Mercy
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Guardian Angel
- Active duration on jump/crouch cancel reduced from 1.5 to 1 second.
Sympathetic Recovery passive
- Health recovered increased from 25% to 40% of healing dealt.
Moira
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
Biotic Grasp
- Secondary fire damage increased from 50 to 65 damage per second.
- Secondary fire target acquisition radius increased from 0.6 to 0.7 meters.
Zenyatta
- Health increased from 75 to 100.
- Shields increased from 150 to 175.
This is seriously the biggest change to the game since 5v5 - arguably even bigger, and is practically Overwatch 3.
I haven’t had a chance to play yet, but opinions on the internet seem mixed - some like it and say that the yoyo-ing of health bars is reduced, while others say it’s even worse than before.
Hanzo does seem like he might be a problem since he didn’t get a pre-emptive projectile size nerf like some of the other characters.
I’m not yet sure how I feel about the changes. On the one hand it is true that randomly dying isn’t much of a problem anymore (Hanzo headshot, etc), but I’ve died multiple times behind cover where I’m pretty sure I got hit because of the hitbox changes.
That said, before this patch there were enough moments as e.g. Soldier where I ran away from fights the enemies should’ve been able to kill me. I’m glad they didn’t change the movement as it’d feel terrible.
Edit: From my few metal rank quickplay matches I’d say yoyoing is less pronounced. Player survive with 20hp quite often, but healing them up takes some time. It’ll be interesting how the game is played in a few days/weeks.
Ugh. Did they manage to make it fun again yet? Asking for a friend
Oh wow, they’re still going huh?
Good for them.
